Folding shelf



H. D. HERPST AND S. L. SMITH.

FOLDING SHELF. APPLLCANONHLED 1uLv`12,-192o.

Patented Jan. 10, 1922.,

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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FOLDING SHELF. Y

APPLICATION FILED JULY l2l 1920. L402929, Patented Jan. 10, 1922'u 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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STATES HAROLD DIX HERPST, 0F CLEVELAND, `OHIO, SAMUEL L. SMITH, OF PITTSBURGH,

EENNSYLVANIA.

FOLDING sHELr.

Application 'le'd '.Tuly 12, 1920.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that we, HAROLD DIX HnRPsT and SAMUEL L. SMITH, citizens ofthe United States, and residents of Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga, State of Ohio, and Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, respectively, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Folding` Shelves, and we Vdo hereby declare the following 'to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof. y

Our invention relates to folding -shelves particularly adaptable for use in banks in connection with machine Lbookkeeping, but

is equally capable of use in other places where temporary shelvingpspace lis necessary and it is desired to conserve room. p

In banking establishments where Jmachine bookkeeping is used, a certain 'room is provided for thel machines and ztheir'operators. At certain hours in the day 'it is necessary for the operators Ktto have desk space on which they can arrange various papers, such as checks or deposit slips, in the desired alphabetical or other order. Heretofore it has usually been the practice to provide Va separate room or a separate part of the 'room with desks at which the operators can work to arrange their papers. After the papers have been arranged, the operators return to the room where their machines are stationed `to make the necessary entries. The question of providing sufficient space in 'some rbanks 'for this purpose is quite serious.

The present invention has for itsobject to provide a shelf which may bepositioned along the walls or cages or in .any other place in the rooms Where the bookkeeping machines are located, such shelf being capable of folding to occupy a minimum space.

A furtherobject ofthe invention is to so construct such shelf that when itiis 'opened the bookkeeping machines may be pushed underit out of the way the operator.

A Still further objectof the invention is to so arrange the shelfthat it may be held open at a position which will enable the operator to comfortablystandup to work, Aor which, when desired, may beloweredto such a position that the o erator may remain seated while "working t creat. A

According to our invention the support for the shelf is preferablv constructed of angle iron 'and metal bars in order thatit will occupy a minimum space and to 'permit Specification of Letters'Patent.

Patented aan. 1o, ieee.

Serial No. 395,613.

an unobstructed view of each desk where several of them are arranged in a row, or where,.as 1s sometimes necessary, to permit an unobstructed view through `the cages adjacent `which the shelves will usually be positioned. Spring drums or other counter balancing devices are `preferably employed to facilitate movement of 'the shelf.

Our invention may be more readily understood `by reference to the accompanying drawings, ink which, Figure 1 is :an end e1ev'ation of the shelf in open or extended posi-r tion; Fig. 2 `is a similar view showing the shelf folded; Fig8 is a front elevation with the shelf opened or extended; Fig. l is` a section online 4-4 of Fig. 3 and shows the shelf in extended position.

In the drawings 5 indicates vertical standards preferably formed of angle iron and provided with feet 5', one of the supports 5 being positioned at each end ofthe shelf. The top of the vertical supportsare connected by an angle bar 6 to form a suitable supporting frame.

In the vertical supports 5 are vertical slots Y7 at the top end of which vis a notch 8 extending forwardly, and intermediately of the ends 'of each slot isa rearwardly extending notch 9.

The shelf -is indicated aty 10 andpreferably comprises an angle bar frame covered with linoleum or other suitable material.- At each end ofthe shelf 1() is an angle bar 11 having a slot 12 therein. Secured to the back of the shelf 10 and at each end thereof are -pins 13 "adapted to project through and slide in the slots 7 in the vertical standards.

Supporting braces, one at each end of the shelf. are provided and comprise a bar of metal 14 preferably shaped as shown in the drawings. At the upper end of each `bar 11i is a pin 15 slidable in the slot 12 in the angle bar 11. At the lower end vof each, of said bars 'a similar kpin 16 is `pro'vide`d, the `pins `1ovbeing slidable in the'vertical slots 7.

ico

winding of the tape winding or tensioningv the spring and vice versa.

In practice, the shelf is normallyheld in the closed position shown in Fig. 2 by a suitable catch 25. In this position the shelf l0 Y is vertical and lies in vertical alignment with the end of the standards 5. The brace bars 14C also assume such vertical position, so that when foldedthe entire shelf occupies a width equal to or only slightly greater than the width or thickness of the frame. 'In this folded position the metal tapes 21 are unwound and the spring drum istensioned. s

The catch 25 'maybe released to let the shelf swing down to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. l. In this position the pins 13 engage the sides of the slot 7 and pins 1 6 rest on the lower end.thereof,while -thepins 15 slide to the forward extremity of the slots 12 and the shelf is firmly held in al substantially horizontal position. t y

From the folded position shown in Fig. 2, the shelf may be lifted vertically land at the same time swung outwardly toa substantially horizontal position until the pins 13 engage the top of the slot 7, at which time the weight of the shelf will tend to *move them forward into the' notches 8. As the shelf 10 is further swung toward the horizontal position, the pins 15 on the brace bars 14 move to the forward extremityof slot 12 and the pins 16, having also been moved upwardly, and being heldin proper spaced relation by. the bars 17, are forced back in the notches 9 by'reason of the Weight of the shelf on the bars 14. Thus the shelf will vbe held in its upper extended position. The lifting of the shelf to this upper position will be greatly facilitated by the action of the spring drums 20.

In practice, it is contemplated that the shelves be placed along the cagesorwalls of the room or at any other convenient place therein, an individual shelf being provided for each bookkeeping machine operator..

Each shelf, while normally closed, may Vbe opened to the uppermost position' and the bookkeeping machine may be pushed beneath it. The shelf frames being constructed of structural metal occupy a minimum space vand do not interfere with the moerators` conversing or seeing through the'cages. Where several shelves arearranged in a longitudinal row, as contemplatedin some banks, a person standing at one end ofsuch row may look down along the row and see each desk without his view being obstructed b vany side frames, as would be the case where ordinary folding wooden shelves are' used.

While we have described ourinvention as being particularly adaptable for use vin banks, 1t is apparent that it may be used in other places where temporary shelf space o r desk space is required. A preferred embodimentof the invention has been shown and described, but it is obvious that changes may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim as our invention- 1. A folding shelf comprising a supporting frame having vertical supports at each end thereof, a shelf, means on the shelf for slidably and pivotally engaging said vertical supports, and brace bars slidably engaging said shelf and said vertical frame members in suchmanner that the said shelf may be moved vertically orfmay be swung from an extended to a folded position while the brace bars remain attached to the shelf and guided in the frame. Y

2. A folding shelf comprising a frame having lvertical standards on each end thereof, a shelf, means on the shelf for slidably and pivotally engaging said vertical standards, bracemembers slidably connected'with said shelfV and Withsaid standards, and space kbars pivoted to said shelf and to said brace members for holding them vin proper spaced relation to' keep the brace` members always in proper position when the shelf is opened or closedl or moved vertically. Y

3. A folding shelf comprising a frame havin(y vertically slotted end standards, a shelf Y aving means at the rear of each end thereof adapted to engage the vertical Slots in said standards to Vprovide a sliding pivot therefor, slotted members on each endof said shelf, and a brace at each end of said shelf having means thereon at its upper end for slidably engaging in said slotted shelf members and means ou its lower end for slidably engagingin said slotted standards, the arrangement being' such that the shelf may be moved vertically or swung from an extended to folded position while the brace bars remainV attached thereto and slidably engaginnf in the slotted end standards.

4:. folding shelf comprising.V a frame thereof adapted to engage the vertical slots i ink said standards, slotted members at each end of said shelf, a brace atieach end of said shelf having means thereon at" its upper end for slidably engaging in said slotted shelf members and means on its lower end for slidably engaging in said slotted'standard, and a spacing bar pivoted, at each end of said shelf at its upper end andV pivot-ed at the other end to the lower end of said brace bar.

5.. Afolding shelfcomprising a supporting frame including endA members having vertical slots and transverse notches therein a shelf member', means movable inthe slots and notches in the frame land connected with saidshelf member for holding said shelf in Van upper extended position or a1 lowerextended position or for perinittinzg;V the shelf to be folded to a substantially Vertical postion and means mounted on the frame and connected with the shelf for counterhalancing the Weight of the shelf, said means being under greatest tension when the shelf is closed to ay substantially vertical position.

6. A folding shelf comprising' a supporting frame including end members havingguides therein with forwardly and rearwardly extending notches, a folding shelf having means thereon slidable in the guide- Ways and adapted to move into the forwardly extended notches when the shelf is extended, and a brace member connected to the shelf having means thereon for engaging the rearwardly extending notches when the shelf is extended, said guideways permitting the shelf to be extended Whenat different heights. y

In testimony whereof. We, the said SAMUEL L. SMITH and HAROLD DIX Hsnvs'r, have hereunto set our hands.

HAROLD DIX HERPST. SAMUEL L. SMITH. 

